2011 Challenges Revisited....With Only So-So Results

It's a new year, and time for some new Challenges. But first, how about a summary of the completion (or general lack thereof!) of the 2011 Challenges!

Reading Goals - 66.6% Complete

- 50 Books for 2011, complete with counter to keep me motivated and excited to see the numbers go up! - Fell a little shy on this one, with 35 out of 50. Still happy with the total though!

- Write a review for at least half of my books read in 2011 -  I read an odd number of books (35) and reviewed 17....the "official" half is 17.5, so I'm rounding up from 17 and saying this one is good!

- Give away at least 10 books that I've enjoyed to friends/colleagues, to hopefully get some folks around me able to have some great book conversations! - I honestly don't know the official count on this, but considering that I sent at least 3 packages of books to Old Faithful this summer and another one with 4 books in right after Christmas, I'm having the faith that it was at least 10.

Blog - 0.00% Complete

- Post at least two blog posts per week - This one did ok up to when my computer finally kicked the bucket in March. It was all downhill from there.

- Only one post per week can be a review...must be creative and stretch the brain muscles a bit more - See above!

Knitting/Crochet - 25% Complete

- Complete both scarves that I have started so far this year! - I technically restarted one of them AGAIN, after it was long enough to be finished, because I am a little too particular sometimes. But, it did officially reach the required size for completion :)

- Finish my best friend's daughter's baby blanket...before her 2nd birthday in October. - And that would be a negative on both counts....not finished at all, let alone in time for the birthday. I actually think it is about the size of a large washcloth at the moment. Maybe time to start thinking about making it a throw blanket for when she goes to college.....

- Learn how to knit something that is not just some variation of a square(aka - no scarves, coasters, dish towels, blankets, etc) - And again....negative.

- Crochet a hat that actually fits my head :o) - I obviously had a rough year with the fiber crafts......

New Things I've Been Planning to Do - 50% Complete
- Actually take the pottery class I talk about every year! - Ok, so I didn't actually do this, but I'm still counting it. I did actually look up the class, make sure I had enough money and that it fit the schedule...then they didn't have it. 


-Finish my guitar instruction book and DVD, and be able to play at least 3 songs from memory - Nope....but I did open the book!
Gettin Out! - 62.5% Complete
- Go to at least 3 places on my local "To Visit" list - Woo hoo for exploring! I visited: Lewis & Clark Caverns, Natural Bridge State Park, Drove Chief Joseph Highway to Cody and went to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center!

- Take vacation to somewhere that neither Bryan nor I have been - Since we didn't go on vacation, that made this one a little tough.....

- Hike! I'm going to keep track of what I do from May-September, and the goal is to average 5 miles per week for the summer - While I did get out quite a bit more this summer than in the past few years, I have to be honest and say I probably didn't make the 5 mile per week average. So, I'm giving myself half credit for this one since I did at least make an improvement!

- Try a new outdoor activity(I have a sneaking feeling this will end up being hunting with the boys, but still undecided on that one!) - And hunting with the boys it was! I had the joyous experience of attempting (poorly I might add) to be quiet while walking through dried leaves and fallen branches, watching Bryan shoot and gut a deer, getting lost while trying to find my way back to the car through trailless woods and then having my car smell like dead deer until, well, it honestly still kind of smells like it. Overall, I would definitely go again....and the deer sure does taste good (and save on grocery spending, yay!). I also spent a day on an outboard motor boat attempting to fish with my dear friend Laney - I will definitely go out and play on the lake again!-

Dinner is Served! Well, Sort Of.....The 2012 "Learn to Cook" Challenge

I was recently informed, much to my chagrin, that my long held belief that I was a good cook was just that....my own belief. With no apparent basis in fact. This was not just one person but 3 who, some more kindly than others, informed that while I can cook a *few* things (meaning the same 4 dishes that are always my fallback when I don't know what else to do), I am for the most part a bumbling novice in the culinary department.

So, what does a competitive and stubborn gal do when told she isn't good at something? Especially something she wants to be good at? She asks for help. Enter the larger problem - I live in the middle of nowhere. There are no cooking classes. There are no real bookstores to buy cookbooks (sorry Tumbleweed....I really do love you, but I love the vast selection at Barnes & Noble just a wee bit better....). And when one does find a recipe, thanks to the wonderful world of the interwebs, it is fairly unlikely that the 7-11 sized grocery store will have all required ingredients.

Obstacles aside though, I am taking on this challenge.

Attempt #1, Lasagna - Successful except for the hand sprinkling the cheese being a tad bit light. Noted.

Attempt #2, Pork Loin Roast - TBD. So far I have been informed that even though the thermometer reads the temperature listed on the USDA website, if the pork is still bright pink then I need to put it back in the oven. When I questioned the point about the thermometer and the correct temperature, I was informed that , yes, I read everything correctly. I did however, probably need a lesson in using the thermometer :)

I guess I do need help after all......

America's Best Idea - The Tauck Winter in Yellowstone Event

No, of course Tauck's "Winter in Yellowstone" Event was not America's best idea, but it was set around the idea of what was.....America's National Parks, as showcased by the 2009 Ken Burns/Dayton Duncan documentary "The National Parks: America's Best Idea".

 As a Group Sales Rep for Xanterra, the lodging concessionaire for Yellowstone National Park, my job primarily revolves around a lot of data entry and answering questions - taking requests, building bookings, entering rooming lists and helping tour operators understand the complexities of working with not just a National Park, but a pretty large and varied one. While I definitely have the freedom to explore and expand within those confines, there are always exactly that: confines. It has been quite an experience in learning and growing up to be able to realize what is my job and when to do it, and what is not my job and when to shut up and leave it to those actually responsible for that task or area. Well, this winter I've had the opportunity to do something different...of course still within my realm of responsibility but with quite a bit more variety than I usually see.

 About 2 years ago, Tauck (one of the largest and best known tour companies in the US) partnered with Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan to launch a series of new tours based around some of their best known documentaries (The National Parks, The Civil War, Jazz etc..) and each new tour series was to include a "Hosted by Ken Burns" Event to kick of the series. Well, "Winter in Yellowstone" was a top priority for Mr Burns and Mr Duncan, so Winter in Yellowstone it was to be. While putting this together definitely included all of the normal aspects of my job, it also allowed me the opportunity to think outside the box, work with other departments, actually assist in the execution of the plans rather than just making them and hoping for the best. It was the perfect blend of event planning and group management, probably a taste of what would be my ideal job.

 That said, don't think that it was all work and no play! The cornerstone of the event, which took place Jan 7-14, was the series of tours in the park with both our guides and the Yellowstone Association as well as the presentations by various guests speakers on the parks geology, history, wildlife etc. The event also included a keynote address by Dayton Duncan (originally planned to be Ken Burns but he was unable to attend due to medical issues). Other speakers included wildlife cinematographer Bob Landis, animal behavior and tracking expert Jim Halfpenny, and Gerard Baker, the first Native American National Park Service Superintendent (Mt Rushmore). I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to visit Old Faithful for the keynote event and dinner. This special and private event filled the Old Faithful Snow Lodge for a night, as well as allowed for us to enjoy the keynote by Mr Duncan in the auditorium of the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center - something the National Park Service had not previously allowed for anyone else to do. While of course there was a hint of disappointment in the air over Mr Burns being unable to attend, I personally felt thrilled to have the opportunity to hear Mr Duncan speak. He was the driving force behind The National Parks having been the one to suggest the idea in the first place, as well as being a strong voice in the inclusion of Winter in Yellowstone into the new Ken Burns American Journey's programs with Tauck. He spoke so passionately about the motivation for both his love of the National Parks and his desire to create these films with Ken that it seemed as though he was truly the most fitting presenter for the evening. Through his sincere storytelling and raw emotion (he noted that Ken compares him to Yellowstone: waterworks), he brought tears to my eyes on several occasions as the realization set in and dug a bit deeper each time that he was speaking about not only the amazing idea that is the National Parks, but also of the location that begin it all and that I have the enormous pleasure of calling my home.

 Amazingly though, the evening did not end there. Following the presentation and a wonderful dinner filled with exceptional company and good spirit, Dayton invited us (the Tauck staff, myself and any guests wishing to make the venture) to join him and Gerard for a moonlit viewing of Old Faithful....if we were lucky enough with timing, that is! With the VC being closed for the evening, they had done the "rough math" of when we "may" expect the next eruption and we settled on a meeting time in the hotel lobby of 9:50pm. As went the rest of the evening, time was on our side. Our group of approximately 20-25 people was taking the last few steps along the stretch of boardwalk separating the VC from the geyser when Old Faithful began it's show. Granted, I lived at Old Faithful for 5 seasons and have seen it many times, but this was different. It was the night after a full moon, crystal clear and amazingly cold (about -10 when we left the hotel....I was in a full snowmobile suit plus a down coat!) and I was surrounded by a group who 90% of them had never had anything close to this experience before. That can make even a veteran feel renewed in their surroundings. After the eruption, we took a few minutes to do what Gerard spoke of so often - be quite and enjoy the silence. Once we had settled into our enjoyment of our surroundings, he graced us with the telling of the stories behind the constellations we could see, a Native American prayer and a song for those who not be with us that night. To top of an already beautiful experience, he then circled us up for the "friendship dance" - a bit of easier two step while holding hands and moving to the beat of his songs. This was not all seriousness though, he definitely had us in stitches with a few outlandishly funny verses here and there! And that set us up for our grand finale - some hilarious attempts at ice skating on the neon blue ringed "pond" that is the Old Faithful ice skating rink. We definitely ended the night with laughter, camaraderie, insight and an overwhelming awe and thankfulness for where we were and who we were with.

 Even after all of the years I have lived here, I am so thankful to know that I can still feel as though I am seeing it for the first time.

Going to the Dogs

Harlo - AKA Muffin

In the world of ice breakers, "Are you a dog or cat person?" ranks right up there in with "Pop or Soda?" in getting a quick glimpse into the personality or background of a new friend or acquaintance. Me, I've always been a cat person. Not really for any reason pertaining to their specific attributes and differences, but because that's just what our whole family was. Again though, that didn't even pertain to the animal types themselves, but we lived in a city, had no yard and were very busy people. I think deep down my younger brother and I really did always want a dog, but were always thwarted(quickly!) by that standard parental threat of being responsible for taking care of said dog.

Me & my hiking buddy, Buckeye

Well folks, the times they are a-changin. In the past 7 years of living in Steamboat Springs and Gardiner - on many days one could easily draw the not-so-far fetched conclusion that there may be more dogs in residence than humans - I have begun to change my ways. No need for my little Harlo muffin to worry, I still love her dearly, but one of these days she may just have to share her space with a canine companion.

Tater - AKA Sausage Dog

I have many, many friends who have dogs and have blessed me with their acquaintance....and some have even *gasp* entrusted me with their care for extended periods of time. At first I just did what I was told - food, water, potty outings, walks or runs in the yard, and maybe a little snuggle in the evening for those allowed on the furniture. Nowadays though, they are earning their place in my heart as man's best friend.

Why the sudden change? Maybe I'm growing up a little bit, heaven forbid. The idea of taking care of something more complicated and time consuming than a cat is not nearly the dreadful weight that it once was. The idea of a companion that is loyal even when it doesn't want something (hint, hint Harlo - you should be nice even when you don't want me to pet you!) is a nice thought, especially when living alone(which I don't know, but I'm sure I will at some point in time....). I just may be responsible enough to keep something alive and thriving these days. Well, at least in the fauna department - me and flora may never have a good relationship.....

Fuzzy phone pics! Yep, there are 4 of them in there somewhere :)

Of course while the idea that I could have a pet because I've grown and matured is a nice one, I still prefer the REAL perks.....Dinner dates with no cooking or dishes involved. No need to rinse dishes when there are any. A nice extra blanket on a cold day. Far less expensive bribes and apologies. No talking back when you just need to vent, and no need to add the disclaimer of "please don't repeat this". No need to make plans to go hiking, just open the car door and you have a hiking buddy.

I think I like Option #2. I do live in Neverland, after all......

Music in the Mountains

One thing that I always miss by living in such a small and out of the way place is live music. Sure, Bozeman has some and Billings has some, Missoula has a good bit etc etc, but those are 90 minutes on the short side and 5 hours on the long...each way.

However, what we lack in quantity we can definitely make up for at least a bit in quality of venues. Enter, Grand Targhee.

Grand Targhee is a small ski resort on the western slope of the Grand Tetons - little know but with ridiculous snow and scenery(over 800 inches this year, if I'm not mistaken....). In the summer they host concerts and music festivals such as Targhee Fest and the Targhee Bluegrass Festival. This year they also upped the line-up to a 3-day Widespread Panic show over July 4th weekend, which of course was a must-wander for me and a small group of 10-12 friends and the tent-mahal(hold your hat, I promise I'll explain...)

Any music weekend at Targhee is not complete without the camping, located anywhere from 100-500 yards from the music venue. In the past I have only midly experienced this, as I hadn't ever been able to do a full weekend down there before. Well, I learned this year, and learned big! The camping areas are basically large meadows and tree filled areas where you cruise in, get your little plastic bracelet that no one will ever check again and then make the mad, bumpy dash towards the best dry spot near shade you can find, all while the dazed and confused Targhee parking staff wave their arms around and try to at least keep lanes visible through the meadows(no offense to them, they did a great job....I just think it was a much bigger job than they expected and knew what to do with when it hit!). Once landed, you secure your area as best you can by circling the vehicles, staking out tents and picking the most tactical location for the all-wonderful shade tent. This was an especially important detail this year, as remember that earlier mention of 800 inches of snow this winter? Well, a good deal of it is still there, and where there is shade, there will be snow and mud because that great shade that keeps the sun off us also keeps it off the ground.....Behold, the tent-mahal(see? you didn't need to worry after all).

The tent-mahal(thank you Rebecca for the pic and amazing name, by the way), also referred to as the tunnel of love, was the great collaboration that came about with the realization that between the 10 of us camping together we had 4 shade tents that could all match up to each others sides relatively well. After 3.5 days of 80+ degrees in a meadow, I may never go festival camping without at least 4 of these wonderful creations ever again.

While camping is of course an integral part of the Targhee weekend, the music is still phenomenal and in an exceptional place. Most festivals are a collection of bands throughout the day, with folks wandering back and forth between camp and venue, seeing who they want to see and then hitting nap etc. With a show like this though, it's every night at 6pm like a normal concert, which lends to the fun mass exodus from camp, line to get in the gate, and then a huge, crazy and enthusiastic crowd to dance around with for the next 4 hours. This was no exception, and so exhilerating. In fine fashion, the entire weekend opened with thousands of people dancing and singing as they fittingling opened with "Aint Life Grand" and the fun continued all the way up to the 3rd to last song of Sunday night where we may have all gone a little insane singing about the "Surprise Valley". Yeah, they played another song and a good encore that night as well, but my rousing finish was with that one.

Now, one more day of this terrible three-day work week before it's the weekend again....now to rouse some energy to do anything.

More Weekend Wanderings!




Jefferson River Valley from the trail to the cavern entrance

I'm being bad and throwing out more wanderings instead of being more creative, but it was such a fun wandering this weekend that I can't resist!



The adventures this weekend took me and my friends Laney, Lisa and Chase to Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, near Three Forks, MT. In the many years, off and on, that I have lived in this area, it is one of those places that I say "Oh, I really want to go there sometime" every time I drive by the exit sign for it on I-90, but then promptly forget it exists until the next time I drive by the sign. Well, not anymore!

While located near an area passed through by Lewis and Clark, they did not actually discover the caverns, or have any idea they were there...Montana just really loves naming things after them. They were actually discovered by two hunters in the late 1800s who noticed a bare area on the hillside during a February hunt. Upon further exploration(aka, dropping rocks in the hole and not hearing them hit bottom) they decided to come back later when it might be a little safer than mid-February in Montana. It took 6 years, but one of them did return and begin to explore in 1898. Sometime later, a successful prospector took over and began offering tours, utilizing a man-made entrance since the original discovery hole was more overhead to the cavern and descended into a rather large pit within the cavern. To give his tours, he created a walkway throughout with 2000 wooden steps and a 90 foot spiral staircase that often swayed as much as 2 feet from side to side.  

Lisa, me and Laney at the cavern entrance

Eventually the railroad discovered that they actually owned the rights to the land and claimed it, only to turn it over to the federal government in 1908. It was designated a National Monument and then locked up so people could not get in. The prospector, Dan Morrison, deciding that he didn't want to play by those rules, cut the lock, replaced it with his own, and continued his tours. Morrison and the federal government play this back and forth game until Morrison's death in 1932.

Around that point, the newly formed(1929) Montana State Parks system came into play, as they were then 3 years old but still did not have any park sites. With the help of the Civilian Conservation Corp, the rickety spiral staircase and wooden steps(wood in a moist cave does not exactly equal a good pairing) were removed and replaced by asphalt, some areas widened for better access, such as the entrance, and a new section of the cavern was discovered and opened to the public. After the discovery of this new section, an exit tunnel was also created so that visitors no longer had to retrace their steps back to the top of the cavern to get out.





Stalactites on the cavern wall


There are several areas to the cave, both large and small, and you actually spiral down throughout the cavern as you decend with each of the large rooms 100-200 feet below each other. They have intriguing names such as the Cathedral room(named for it's shape), the Sample room(named because of the large quantities of "samples" that Dan Morrison encouraged his guests to break off and take home with them to show their friends) and the Poison room(named for the eerie, venomous colors).

Crystal Pool(it's back there, I promise!)



One mile above sea level



Another neat concept we learned about was the way the cave can change your perception. In the Poison room, our guide pointed out a tall, narrow feature that appeared to be about 20-25 feet away and maybe 2 feet tall, which was actually 62 feet away from us and 6 feet tall....I am still baffled that the little white "stick" she pointed out was actually almost a full foot taller than me! The other was the idea, so kindly labeled for us on the stairs, of being at the one mile above sea level point while underground. That's a fun way to mess with one's mind a little bit!



One of the great illusionary examples

  

Poison Room - 6 foot tall feature is the small white line in the upper left



Weekend Wanderings

A few weeks ago I discovered an iPhone app called Trover that kind of reminds me a "photo" Twitter. You sign in, post photos of your "discoveries"(anything cool or interesting that you'd like to share) and it posts in a running feed. You map and name the location, as well as provide a brief description of why the discovery is "cool", for each photo, which allows other users to see where you took the photo and what it is. This also allows you to seach Discoveries by what is nearby - either nearby to you, or to another discovery you found interesting. This little app has led me to a new goal of the summer(since I have failed miserably at many of my 2011 goals and challenges so far, lol!). Enter, the Weekend Wanderings of Summer 2011.

I have lived in this area off and on since 2002, and thought that I knew it pretty well and had done a good many things. Definitely not the case, as Trover has taught me in the past few weeks! So far, I have discovered enough new places to see and things to do that, combined with my other already set plans this summer, may definitely be enough to leave not a free weekend to be found!

These first photos are the beginnng of the Weekend Wanderings, though not to new places....



Grand Tetons behind (still frozen) Jackson Lake - Grand Teton National Park May 2011

The bottom of Colter Pass as a storm rolls in - Chief Joseph Highway, Wyoming - May 2011



Buffalo Bill's Historic Irma Hotel - Cody, Wyoming - May 2011



Pioneer School near the Wyoming-Montana border on Hwy 120 - This was a new discovery that I just saw a small sign for on the side of the highway! May 2011

The first of the new explorations, less than 2 hours from my house along a very scenic drive!
Natural Bridge Falls - Gallatin National Forest, Montana - June 2011

The weekend wandering to Natural Bridge falls also included the fun of a borrowed pup(a friend was out of town so pupsitting was also involved!) as wel as a fabulous dinner at the Grand Hotel in Big Timber, MT - was expecting to grab so bar grub on the way home and ended up with an AMAZING meal!!

Next weekend, Lewis and Clark Caverns :)